Hey everyone:bliss:
I had a question about side breathing in the butterfly and was hoping someone could help me out as I've been experimenting with it but am not sure if I am doing it correctly. My question is this...
When bringing the head out of the water and turning it to the side do I keep my head in that position when again entering the water or do I move my head back to the front position after turning it. Sorry if this question is stupid but I like the feeling I get when I do the fly like this and want to make sure my head movements are correct.
Thanks!!!
FWIW, Maglischo is not a fan:
The usual reasons given for breathing in this way are to save energy and maintain a more horizontal body position...They also feel it helps them maintain good horizontal alignment because the act of lifting the head out of the water tends to submerge the hips. This reasoning is fallacious because it overlooks an important difference between the butterfly and the front crawl...butterflyers who breathe to the side must lift the head and shoulders out of the water as much as or more than swimmers who breathe to the front.
(emphasis added)
EM has this to say about front breathing: " should breathe by elevating the shoulders and trunk above the surface so that they do not have to extend the head up and back to take a breath." He likens the motion to a breath in breaststroke.
EM also disagrees with the currently-popular notion of low arm recovery and jutting chin on the water (Phelps-style) during the breath.
EM is sometimes wrong, of course, and is refreshing in his candor in admitting it.
I know some butterflyers who do very well with side-breathing (my wife is one). Melvin Stewart obviously had some success with the practice. But I disagree with the general pronouncement that it reduces drag for all swimmers. Or even for most swimmers.
FWIW, Maglischo is not a fan:
The usual reasons given for breathing in this way are to save energy and maintain a more horizontal body position...They also feel it helps them maintain good horizontal alignment because the act of lifting the head out of the water tends to submerge the hips. This reasoning is fallacious because it overlooks an important difference between the butterfly and the front crawl...butterflyers who breathe to the side must lift the head and shoulders out of the water as much as or more than swimmers who breathe to the front.
(emphasis added)
EM has this to say about front breathing: " should breathe by elevating the shoulders and trunk above the surface so that they do not have to extend the head up and back to take a breath." He likens the motion to a breath in breaststroke.
EM also disagrees with the currently-popular notion of low arm recovery and jutting chin on the water (Phelps-style) during the breath.
EM is sometimes wrong, of course, and is refreshing in his candor in admitting it.
I know some butterflyers who do very well with side-breathing (my wife is one). Melvin Stewart obviously had some success with the practice. But I disagree with the general pronouncement that it reduces drag for all swimmers. Or even for most swimmers.
